[ynotbrusum]

Any chance the yeast are pooped?  Just a thought.  Mort's fast ferment test will establish that, if you have another packet of 34/70 to pitch.  I have found just the opposite with repitched 34/70 (it chugs it lower than 1.010 on some lager batches), but you never know for sure on dry yeast viability and performance...

[paul]

I'm not sure if I used Weyermann or Castle Abbey malt, but I thought of it as a darker munich/aromatic malt, not crystal.  I used 7% abbey malt, so not that much.  Oh, and here's some information on Abbey malt. In this case 33% Abbey malt didn't hurt attenuation at all: http://discussions.probrewer.com/showthread.php?20540-Feedback-on-new-Weyermann-Belgian-Malts.

Hydrometer was definitely floating…that I checked.

Pooped yeast is the only possibility that remains. A forced ferment test makes sense.  But I could waste a pack of yeast on the test, then have to buy another two to pitch in the beer.  Seem like i could just pitch two in the beer?  Or is there a downside to that?

[jeffy]

I'm not sure if I used Weyermann or Castle Abbey malt, but I thought of it as a darker munich/aromatic malt, not crystal.  I used 7% abbey malt, so not that much.  Oh, and here's some information on Abbey malt. In this case 33% Abbey malt didn't hurt attenuation at all: http://discussions.probrewer.com/showthread.php?20540-Feedback-on-new-Weyermann-Belgian-Malts.

Hydrometer was definitely floating…that I checked.

Pooped yeast is the only possibility that remains. A forced ferment test makes sense.  But I could waste a pack of yeast on the test, then have to buy another two to pitch in the beer.  Seem like i could just pitch two in the beer?  Or is there a downside to that?

With the fast ferment test, any yeast will work.  Even a packet of bakers yeast, from what I've heard.

[paul]

Bread yeast does sound like a good idea for the test.  Thanks!

[hubie]

Is there a decent way to calculate the anticipated fermentability?  If I understand what is typically done with calculators is that they calculate the OG then just multiply by some attenuation factor for that yeast strain and don't take into account how fermentable each component is.  Is my understanding correct?

[erockrph]

Is there a decent way to calculate the anticipated fermentability?  If I understand what is typically done with calculators is that they calculate the OG then just multiply by some attenuation factor for that yeast strain and don't take into account how fermentable each component is.  Is my understanding correct?

I think there are way too many factors to consider in order to nail it down better than a WAG. Mash temp and fermentation temp/schedule play an important role, as well as fermentability of various ingredients. And who's to say that one maltster's C-60 is going to have the same fermentability as another's? I think you'd have a much easier time herding cats than trying to develop a FG calculator that's going to get you within more than a few points.

I think the only thing I'd like to see calculators do better is handle 100% fermentable ingredients (like sugar) better. But I just add them to the recipe last and see what the predicted FG was before they went in to get a better estimate of the expected FG.